Uso do laser em infecções endodônticas persistentes/secundárias: revisão de literatura

Abstract

Endodontic treatment aims to infect the root canals through chemical-mechanical preparation and intracanal medication. However, even after endodontic treatment following specific protocols, some bacteria may remain inside the root canal system, such as Enterococcus faecalis. In view of this, photodynamic therapy is being used as an adjuvant to update the update during endodontic treatment. This auxiliary therapeutic modality involves the use of a photosensitizer, which is activated by light of a specific wavelength in the presence of oxygen, and has proven to be quite efficient in this stage of infection due to its bactericidal effectiveness. The damage to the bacteria occurs in the cell wall, causing metabolic changes and in the osmotic gradient, through the alteration of lipids, proteins and nucleic acids, causing the outbreak that results in cell death by apoptosis, thus maximizing the infection of the root canals. In this sense, a literature search was carried out in the PubMed and Scielo database, considering the period from 2000 to 2023, using the following terms: “photochemotherapy” AND “root canal therapy” AND “persistent infection” AND “endodontics”. After reading and analyzing the texts, 31 articles were included to present data relevant to the topic. The literature suggests that photodynamic therapy serves as an auxiliary form of endodontic treatment, increasing the predictability of success.